With overcast skies 9 walkers arrived at the end of Grosvenor Rd to start our walk today. Luckily Claude had done the recce with us & was able to stand in for John & also Clive who is unwell. Hope you get well soon Clive-we missed you today!
The fire-trail soon becomes a bush track & descends quite quickly to the Gibberagong Waterholes, where it crosses Cockle Creek on steps cut into rocks. We then continued to a junction with a sign indicating the way uphill to the Marrua fire trail. At the top we turned left & followed this fire-trail to the end of the ridge where we stopped for a well-earned morning tea. The trip downhill to the rainforest near Bobbin Head was a bit challenging but we managed it with only one small detour off track! The right track was soon located & we were able to make it to Bobbin Head & a coffee break at the Marina. It was here whilst waiting undercover for our coffee that the rain began but we were in luck because once we started our journey back along the Gibberagong track the rain had stopped. Some of the group wanted to go to the rainforest so the rest of us sat on the logs to eat lunch with a very tame brush turkey, who was looking for food for company. It was then our turn to wait while the rest of the group had lunch.
After lunch it was a pleasant journey walking beside Cockle Creek through the shaded gully with lots of grass trees & rocky hillsides beside the track. At the end of the valley we arrived at the turn off to the Marrua trail & crossed the creek again before beginning the climb back to Grosvenor Rd. With his long legs Claude broke away from the rest of the group on the climb out & we thought we had lost him when he took a wrong turn on the hill. However, Claude was easily able to backtrack & catch up with us before the last of the group reached the top!
After the walk finished a small group continued to North Turramurra Bakery for coffee & enjoyed a chat & some relaxation.
Thank you, Claude, for your help today, Lyndy for being our first aider & Peter for once again being tail end Charlie.
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Golden Whistler (male) - Rainforest Track
Water View From The Gibberagong Track
Eastern Water Dragon - Gibberagong Track Crab in the mangroves
Colourful Caterpillar - Rainforest Track Sawfly Larvae - Gibberagong Track
The walkers with Celia & Claude were: Barbara C, Polly, Mary G, Lyndy, Hazel, Bert, Steve P, Nick S & Peter T
words by: Celia
Photos By: Barbara C (19), Hazel (6,7,8,9,10,16,17), Peter T (1,2.3,4,5,11,12,13,14,15,18)